Max expands into France and Poland, enhances offering in Netherlands, Belgium
House of the Dragon S2 will premiere in Europe next week
Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) has launched its streaming service Max in France and Poland today, bringing the new platform’s roll-out to 25 European countries across Iberia, Benelux, the Nordics and Central and Eastern Europe.
The launches bring Max’s footprint to 65 countries and territories globally.
The moves coincide with the premiere of House of the Dragon S2 on Max on June 17 in Europe. Additionally, upcoming content includes titles such as The Penguin, Dune: Prophecy and films like Dune: Part Two, Barbie, Wonka and major DC Universe titles.
HBO originals to screen on Max include The Last of Us, Succession, The White Lotus, Euphoria and True Detective, alongside US comedy classics like Friends and The Big Bang Theory. CNN International will be live on Max in France and Poland, starting with coverage of the CNN Presidential Debate on June 27.
WBD said Max is also committed to local content, with new French titles like Black Lies, Malditos and an adaptation of Living with our Dead. Polish originals include The Convict’s final season, The Thaw S2 and new releases such as The Easterngate, Lady Love and various documentaries.
Regarding Max’s local content plans, Katarzyna Drogowska, head of AVoD streaming and Player editorial director at WBD in Poland, told C21’s Content Warsaw last week: “Our aim is to blend the best global, high-quality content with the best of our local content that is being appreciated by the user, and of course a large library of back-catalogue TV.”
In all European markets where Max is available, it will exclusively stream this summer’s Olympic Games from Paris. Subscribers will also have access to major tennis tournaments, cycling’s Grand Tours and winter sports events, varying by country.
An enhanced HBO Max has also launched in the Netherlands, and will launch in Belgium on July 1, after an early-access period starting today. Following its roll-out in the US, Latin America, the Caribbean and the first wave of European markets, Max is set to launch in South-East Asia later this year.
“Max’s global momentum continues to build as even more customers now have access to unparalleled quality content including HBO, Discovery, Warner Bros, DC, Eurosport and CNN,” said JB Perrette, CEO and president of global streaming and games at WBD.
“These international fan-favourites are complemented with meaningful, high-quality local original programming. With over half the worldwide market still ahead of us, the globalisation of Max is only just beginning.”